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Axios Boston
Things to do in San Francisco this weekend: Circus Bella, soy festival and more
We've got a full schedule for you this weekend. Buckle up and get ready to take your pick.Thursdayđ¨ Gather for an evening of exhibition-inspired art projects, featuring activations that explore creative reuse, mixed media aesthetics, collaborative robot art and more.5:30â9pm at the Museum of Craft and Design. Tickets are $10 for general admission, $8 for students and seniors and free for MCD members.đ Swing by some of the pop-up drag shows in downtown San Francisco as part of the city's "Drag Me Downtown" initiative. Performers include Tyson Check-in and Kipper Snacks.5â7pm at the Third Floor at the Jay Hotel. Free.FridayđŞ...
Climbing to the top of the Transamerica Pyramid
What do you do when you're offered a private tour of San Francisco's second-tallest building? You climb to the top â and film the entire thing for Axios!The big picture: The Transamerica Pyramid and surrounding area were sold for $650 million in 2020 and have been undergoing renovations for 18 months. The $400 million project is the biggest single investment in downtown SF since COVID. Fun fact: The architectural firm behind the renovations, Foster + Partners, also designed Apple's "spaceship" headquarters in Cupertino.State of play: While the renovated lobby is open to visitors, the metal spire at the top (all...
What to know about the Celtics victory parade
Boston's getting the duck boats ready to celebrate the Celtics' 18th NBA title.The big picture: Officials are hoping the heat wave will have subsided in time for locals to safely celebrate on Friday.What they're saying: "Win a championship, we throw you a parade," Mayor Michelle Wu said Tuesday.State of play: Wu predicted the duck boat parade will draw more than 1 million people downtown Friday morning.When it starts: The parade kicks off at 11am Friday in front of TD Garden.It will pass City Hall Plaza and Boston Common before ending on Boylston Street in front of the Hynes Convention Center.Zoom...
911 is down in Massachusetts. Here's what to do
Update: The 911 system came back online around 4pm Tuesday, per state officials.911 is down across Massachusetts, officials say. The big picture: The outage comes as Boston and several surrounding cities experience a heat wave, which can lead to heat exhaustion and other medical emergencies. In Boston, officials shared district numbers that locals can call to report police, fire or medical emergencies. Boston fire: 617-343-2880 or pull a fire box.Boston EMS: 617-343-1400.For Boston police, residents can pick up a phone and call the district station. Downtown A-1: 617-343-4240 Charlestown A-15: 617-343-4888 East Boston A-7: 617-343-4220 Roxbury B-2: 617-343-4270 Mattapan B-3: 617-343-4700 South Boston C-6: 617-343-4730 Dorchester C-11: 617-343-4330 South End D-4: 617-343-4250157 Allston/Brighton D-14: 617-343-4260 Roslindale/ West Roxbury E-5: 617-343-4560 Jamaica Plain E-13: 617-343-5630 Hyde Park E-18: 617-343-5600Outside of BostonBrookline police: 617-730-2222Brookline fire: 617-730-2263 or pull your nearest fire bo.Cambridge police: 617-349-3300Somerville police: 617-625-1600Chelsea police: 617-884-2064Winthrop police: 617-846-1212Newton police: 617-796-2123Newton fire: 617-796-2200Medford police: 781-395-1212Arlington police: 781-643-1212Belmont police: 617-484-1212Waltham police: 781-893-3700Watertown police: 617-972-6500Dedham police: 781-326-1212Quincy police: 617-479-1212Quincy fire: 617-376-1011Braintree police: 781-794-8600Weymouth: 781-335-1212 ext. 8Sign up for Axios Boston for free.
"Only going to get worse": Sonoma County wildfire marks start of Bay Area fire season
California's extreme weather season is underway, with a fire in Sonoma County burning over 1,200 acres since Sunday.Why it matters: Several hundred residents were ordered to evacuate, and the National Weather Service (NWS) issued a red flag warning for high elevation parts of the inner North Bay yesterday.Driving the news: The Point Fire, which broke out around noon on Sunday near Lake Sonoma is one of a dozen that broke out across the state in the past few days.While the Point Fire is now at least 20% contained, low humidity and gusty winds of up to 40 mph continue to...
Black 2 San Francisco summer program is in full swing
Black 2 San Francisco, an education program designed to bring students from historically Black colleges and universities to study and live in the city, began its inaugural summer program this month.Why it matters: It is part of Mayor London Breed's bigger plan to launch an HBCU satellite campus in San Francisco, as well as bring 30,000 residents and students to the downtown area by 2030.Driving the news: Black2SF's first group comprises 60 HBCU students, who will spend six weeks working in paid internships across city offices, including district attorney, city attorney, and recreation and parks.Students will work on various projects...
When a Boston school fired a teacher over Langston Hughes lesson
Fifty-nine years ago this month, Jonathan Kozol was fired from his substitute teaching job at the Christopher Gibson School in Boston.The reason? He shared some Langston Hughes poems with students that werenât in the curriculum.The intrigue: Bostonâs history of racism illustrates tactics that are used to this day in other parts of the country to remove stories by and about Black and brown people.Far-right leaders in Florida, Texas and other states have removed books about Black fiction and history, conflating them with critical race theory.Zoom in: One of the poems Kozol recalled sharing is Hughesâ âThe Ballad of the Landlord.â...
When a Boston school fired a teacher over Langston Hughes lesson
Fifty-nine years ago this month, Jonathan Kozol was fired from his substitute teaching job at the Christopher Gibson School in Boston.The reason? He shared some Langston Hughes poems with students that werenât in the curriculum.The intrigue: Bostonâs history of racism illustrates tactics that are used to this day in other parts of the country to remove stories by and about Black and brown people.Far-right leaders in Florida, Texas and other states have removed books about Black fiction and history, conflating them with critical race theory.Zoom in: One of the poems Kozol recalled sharing is Hughesâ âThe Ballad of the Landlord.â...
Celtics clinch first championship in 16 years
The Boston Celtics will soon raise a record 18th championship banner into the rafters of TD Garden. The Cs' stifling defense and a combined 52 points from Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown led the team to a 106-88 win over the Dallas Mavericks to cap off the NBA Finals. Why...
Boston prepares for a major heat wave
Data: National Weather Service; Map: Jared Whalen/AxiosA long-lasting, record-breaking heat wave is enveloping large parts of the country this week, including Massachusetts.Why it matters: Extreme heat is the number one weather-related killer in a typical year.Human-caused climate change is making heat waves more likely, longer lasting and more intense.State of play: Mayor Michelle Wu declared a heat emergency, and a National Weather Service heat advisory takes effect in Boston noon Tuesday until 7pm Friday. Zoom in: The city opened 14 cooling centers at Boston Centers for Youth & Families buildings.The cooling center will ask visitors to sign in with their...
Where things stand in San Francisco's mayoral race
More than a dozen candidates have qualified for the November ballot in a mayoral race that political observers say will be a referendum on incumbent Mayor London Breed's tenure.Why it matters: San Francisco residents will decide either to reelect Breed, who is seeking a second full term, or go in another direction as the city grapples with a drug overdose epidemic, a homelessness crisis and a struggling downtown.What they're saying: Voters will ultimately determine whether the city "should move further to the right" or "take a more progressive approach," longtime political consultant Jim Ross told Axios via email.The candidate who...
This Boston dispensary wants to start deliveries
Rooted In, the Back Bay dispensary, is planning to expand into cannabis delivery services.Why it matters: The Black-owned business sees deliveries as a way to boost business in the winter months, when foot traffic dies down on Newbury.State of play: Rooted In is seeking city approval for a cannabis courier license for the Newbury Street location.The owners need a state license to start deliveries.Brian Keith, co-founder and COO, said customers can expect deliveries to start in late fall.Sign up for Axios Boston for free.
This Boston dispensary wants to start deliveries
Rooted In, the Back Bay dispensary, is planning to expand into cannabis delivery services.Why it matters: The Black-owned business sees deliveries as a way to boost business in the winter months, when foot traffic dies down on Newbury.State of play: Rooted In is seeking city approval for a cannabis courier license for the Newbury Street location.The owners need a state license to start deliveries.Brian Keith, co-founder and COO, said customers can expect deliveries to start in late fall.Sign up for Axios Boston for free.
Things to do around Boston this week
Boston celebrates Juneteenth this Wednesday with parades, marches and free museum programming. Here are some of the best events of the week.Monday 6/17đ§đžââď¸ Find free yoga and high-intensity workouts on the greenway, 5:30pm-7pm.đ Author Puloma Ghosh discusses her debut collection of short stories, "Mouth," at Harvard Book Store, 7pm.Tuesday 6/18đ The BPL's South End branch hosts a summer pop-up with free books, drag queen story hour and guests from nonprofit More Than Words, 10am-2pm.Wednesday 6/19đ Admission to the MFA, the Gardner Museum and the ICA are free for Juneteenth.The 14th annual Juneteenth Emancipation Observance kicks off with a flag raising...
San Francisco moves to begin installing curbside EV chargers
Curbside electric vehicle chargers are coming to San Francisco, the mayor's office announced Friday, and they could start being installed within the next six months.Why it matters: The chargers are intended to expand the EV infrastructure, making it more convenient and affordable, especially for apartment dwellers who cannot charge their cars at home and must rely on expensive DC fast chargers.San Francisco has set a goal of installing at least 1,700 public chargers by 2030, though some city leaders are aiming higher.How it works: The pilot program for curbside chargers invites providers, which may include companies like Electrify America and...
How Bay Area cities are converting old hotels and schools into housing
The next in-demand apartment could be inside an old Bay Area school, church or hotel.Why it matters: As developers and cities like San Francisco seek to repurpose empty space into much-needed housing, a mix of building types are on the table.State of play: The San Francisco metro area, which includes Oakland and Berkeley, recorded the fourth-highest number of conversions to apartments in 2023 at 552, according to a RentCafe analysis.That's primarily due to the conversion of a former warehouse property in Alameda County, which created 372 new apartments.Other Bay Area cities have also explored their options with the redevelopment of...
Civil grand jury report argues SF is unprepared for flooding risks
San Francisco is unprepared for flooding risks associated with climate change, the city's civil grand jury said in a report this week.Why it matters: Climate change is resulting in rising sea levels and greater storms, which further strain the city's aging sewer system and put San Francisco at risk for flooding.Last year's harsh winter storms forced millions of gallons of sewage into the San Francisco Bay and its associated waterways.What they're saying: "In a city of more than 800,000 citizens who are surrounded by water on three sides and [whose] residential and business districts are in harm's way, we felt...
Pop culture, nerdiness and cosplay center stage at Fan Expo Boston
Boston's a pretty nerdy town most of the time, but this weekend, it's going to get extremely geeky.Why it matters: Fan Expo Boston â New England's biggest comic book, sci-fi and cosplay festival â promises pop culture immersion, numerous vendors and plenty of genre celebrities.Mads Mikkelsen, Bryce Dallas Howard, Rosario Dawson and Marisa Tomei are among those expected at the Hynes Convention Center.Marvel will have a big presence this year, with "Spider-Man's" Tomei, "Daredevil's" Vincent D'Onofrio and "Guardians of the Galaxy's" Sean Gunn all booked for meet-and-greet appearances.'90s nerds can check out "Saved by the Bell's" Mark-Paul Gosselaar and Mario Lopez.Star...
The real price of a better MBTA
The state can either commit more money to the struggling MBTA before year's end or risk the agency's momentum in hiring and fixing unsafe routes, according to a new study of the T's dire finances.Why it matters: The MBTA's subway, streetcars, buses and commuter trains are the engine that propels Boston's workforce, the anchor of the entire New England economy â and the agency is headed for a fiscal collapse, according to the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation.The T needs over $700 million in the 2026 fiscal year to balance its budget and maintain current service levels, the MTF's report says.State of...
Mass. close to last state to ban "revenge porn"
Massachusetts likely won't be the very last state to ban "revenge porn," the sharing of explicit images without the subject's consent.Why it matters: It's taken lawmakers nearly seven years to strike a deal, but Democratic negotiators agreed Tuesday on a bill that would set up punishments for threatening to circulate private, explicit images to coerce or extort the subject.Stunning stat: 48 states currently ban revenge porn.South Carolina is the only other holdout.What they're saying: For survivors, "coercive and abusive control is a form of domestic violence that can be as insidious and harmful as acts of physical violence and should be treated that way under the law," Sen. John Keenan said in a statement.Between the lines: Senate negotiators had hoped to include language in the bill defining other types of verbal and non-physical abuse as "coercive control," but it was left out of the final product that will likely pass the chambers this week.Sign up for Axios Boston for free.
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